"Sounding the Alarm!"

“Sounding the Alarm!”

 

And do this, understanding the present time:  The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.   The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.          Romans 13:11-12

 

I believe that this is a message that God truly wanted delivered.  A message that would ‘SOUND the ALARM.   Time is fleeting, and MANY are perishing.  It’s time for God’s children to AWAKE from their SLUMBER and get busy spreading the GOOD NEWS:  JESUS SAVES!!  We need to SOUND the ALARM:  HE IS COMING SOON, BE READY TO MEET HIM!!

 

The Bible tells us that NO ONE knows the day or hour when He will return, but it gives us signs to look for and the Apostle Paul felt in his heart that it was NEARER than ever, in his day.  So how much CLOSER are we in this present time, in which we live?  All you need to do is look around you.  Sin is running rampant, lawlessness abounds everywhere, wars and rumors of wars are popping up all around us.  Our own nation is in DESPERATE NEED of HELP.  And as God’s children we need to not find ourselves participating in the deeds of darkness, but to put on the armor of light and to let our light shine in a DARK, CORRUPT, SIN-LADEN world. 

 

Paul’s warning to the believers in Rome, is more applicable to us TODAY.  The time has come for the TRUE BELIEVERS to WAKE UP!  And to get moving, we must be about God’s business of, sharing His LOVE with a LOST and DYING world.   The finality of our salvation is nearer NOW than it has ever been.  The NIGHT, THIS present time, is nearly over; the DAY, Christ’s return, is almost here.   Are we ready?   Are we DILIGENTLY seeking the lost and sharing God’s love?  Have we done all we can do, to let our light shine in the darkness?   These are some crucial questions for the TRUE BELIEVERS to ponder.

 

But NOW, let me ask YOU, are you READY for Christ’s return?  Have you given you HEART and LIFE to God and asked Him for His FORGIVENESS?  If not you will be one of the ones that will be LEFT BEHIND, and have to deal with ALL the calamities that will ensue during the tribulation time, AFTER Christ has come and taken His TRUE BELIEVERS from this doomed world.  You NOW have the opportunity to Give your HEART and LIFE to God by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be one of His TRUE BELIEVERS, who is READY for His return.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!  GO AND SOUND THE ALARM!!!

"Putting on the New You!"

“Putting on the New You!”

 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.              Colossians 3:1-4

 

When a person comes to God for the SALVATION of their soul, they die to their old, wretched, sinful lifestyle and then are raised to a NEW, IMPROVED lifestyle.  And since this transformation is to take place over a period of time for growth and maturity, they have to do some things to help their “NEW YOU” develop into the NEW and IMPROVED person, that God wants them to be. 

 

First, they must set their heart on things above, the things that are eternal and NOT temporal.  They are to focus on the Spiritual things and NOT to let their focus be on the earthly, fleshly things that exemplify their OLD life.  They should diligently seek the heavenly aspects of life and LEAVE the earthly aspects behind.  Their minds should be SET on Christ and their lives should be centered around the glorified Christ, the one who died for them and set them FREE from the hold of the wretched, sinful, lifestyle, a lifestyle that would bring a doomed eternity  in Hell.

 

Even though, they have to deal with earthly things, because they live on the earth, they do NOT have to participate in the earthly lifestyle.  They may have to live IN the world, but they do NOT have to be OF the world. 

 

For their OLD life has died and their NEW life is now hidden with Christ in God.  For they are children of God, and what they will be has not yet been made known.   But they know that when Christ appears, they shall be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is.  (1John 3:2)   No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning.  No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.  (1John 3:6)

 

The putting on of the NEW YOU, is the process of leaving the OLD YOU, behind and pressing toward the goal that God has set for you, His child.  When you come to God for the SALVATION of your soul, it must be done with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART, as the Scripture says:  “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.”  Becoming a child of God doesn’t mean that they won’t sin, but it is NOT a CONTINUAL habit that they participate in.  And a TRUE child of God, when they do sin, is convicted of that sin, by the Holy Spirit, which indwells them, and it is their responsibility to CONFESS that sin.

 

If you have not come to God for the SALVATION of your soul, then you are doomed to spend all eternity in the place of perpetual torment, torture, pain, misery, hatred, and despair.  And all because of your OLD, WRETCHED, SINFUL life.  However, you have the opportunity to change your destination NOW by; CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and leave the OLD YOU behind and put on the NEW YOU, and have the HOPE of Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!

 

 

"Prayers That Are Not Heard"

“Prayers That Are Not Heard”

 

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear.          Isaiah 59:1-2

 

There are many people who are under the false assumption that God hears the prayers of ANYBODY, regardless of the cleanliness of their heart.  If they are in need all they have to do is to pray and ask God for His help and He will HEAR their prayers.  But I think we can see, from these verses of Scripture that is NOT the case. 

 

The Prophet Isaiah plainly states that even though God Almighty is capable of SAVING one from their problems and His hearing is keen enough to HEAR them when they ASK for a need to be met, and that a lost person’s iniquities have separated them from God; their sins have caused Him to hide His face from them so that He WILL NOT HEAR their prayer.

 

The ONLY prayer from a person who has not come to God seeking FORGIVENESS from their sins and are participating in a sinful lifestyle or hiding sin in their heart is the prayer of REPENTENTANCE.  Once an individual comes with a TRULY REPENTANT heart and sincerely asks God for His FORGIVENESS of their sins, then they will have a RIGHT relationship with Him and He will turn His face towards them and will HEAR their prayer.

 

A Child of God who has sin in their heart, MUST confess that sin before they ask anything from God, because SIN separates us from God.  He is HOLY and RIGHTEOUS, and if God, who is Jesus in the flesh, could not look upon Jesus, and they were separated while He was on the cross, because He, who knew NO sin, became sin, by taking on ALL the sins of mankind, what makes us think that God would draw near to us and HEAR our prayers?   It isn’t going to happen!!   Psalm sixty-six, verse eighteen states; “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;” It is extremely important that when we come to the throne room of God that we come with a REPENTANT HEART, and confess our sins to Him, before we offer our petitions of prayer.

 

If you have not come to God seeking the FORGIVENESS of your sins and giving your HEART and LIFE to Him, then when you find yourself in NEED, remember He is separated from YOU, and will not HEAR your PRAYERS, until you have a RIGHT relationship with Him.   You do that by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and with a REPENTANT HEART, offer your requests up to Him and be assured that He will HEAR and ACT in accordance to HIS will.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

"Enduring Faith"

“Enduring Faith”

 

For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.  For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.  But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.  But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.           Hebrews 10:36-39

 

The author of Hebrews, which I believe to be the Apostle Paul, is encouraging the Hebrew believers to have an ENDURING FAITH.  In other words, he is telling them to persevere in times of persecution, and be OBEDIENT to the will of God, in order that they might receive their inheritance.

 

He wanted them to know that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Coming One would be coming without delay, and should find them exemplifying their ENDURING FAITH, a STRONG, ABIDING FAITH, that did not waver or falter, but  was able to withstand the winds of strong persecution.  Then he warns them that if they ‘draw back’ or ‘shrink away’ that they would not be pleasing to Jesus Christ. 

 

Then Paul says to the Hebrew believers, “But we are NOT those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.”  I think this was somewhat of a ‘pep talk’ to them, in order to bolster their faith and encourage them to PERSERVERE for the cause of Christ.  To hold on to their STRONG ENDURING FAITH so it would not be weakened and they would not lose their rewards.  A weakened faith is non-productive and bears very little, if any fruit, and when one with weakened faith stands before the Lord, they will be ashamed of their life and their lack of PERSERVERANCE for the Kingdom of God.   

 

This is a lesson for ALL TRUE believers, We NEED to have a STRONG ENDURING FAITH, so we will not disappoint our Lord, but will be able to hear Him say to us; “Well done MY GOOD and FAITHFUL servant!”  “Share your Master’s joy!”  (Matthew 25:21)

 

If you have not given your HEART and Life to God, then you definitely will NOT hear Him say:  “Well done My GOOD and FAITHFUL servant!”  “Share your Master’s joy!”  Instead you will hear Him say:  “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!”  (Matthew 25:41)  You NOW have the opportunity to change your destiny, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and work on having a STRONG ENDURING FAITH that will bring about these words:  “Well done My GOOD and FAITHFUL servant!”  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!

"PRAYER: The ULTIMATE Defense Weapon against Evil!"

“PRAYER: The ULTIMATE Defense Weapon against Evil!”

 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 

And pray for me, too.  Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.  I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador.  So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for Him, as I should.

Ephesians 6:18-20

 

We are living in a very wicked, evil and perverted world.  And we are facing a new year that holds a lot of uncertain scenarios.  In some instances it is exciting to see how biblical prophecies interact with our day and time.   And in some instances it is frightening to see how the wickedness, evilness and perversion escalates and catapults us into perilous times. 

 

The Apostle Paul is telling the Ephesians, in no uncertain terms, that PRAYER should permeate their lives.  They should be the ULTIMATE PRAYER WARRIOR, ALWAYS alert, and CONSTANTLY in PERSISTENT prayer for ALL believers EVERYWHERE.  This is a message for us today, we NEED to be diligent in our intercessory prayers and support each other with PERSISTENT and COMPASSIONATE pleas for ALL our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who either are or will be under persecution and maybe even facing death at the hands of wicked, evil people.

 

We could very well face the same scenario, more quickly than you think.  Just being a Christian puts you at a very high risk.  This sinful, old world doesn’t want a godly influence, because that would put its way of life into jeopardy.  We might have a Christian influence that would thwart the plans of the wicked, evil, ungodly council of this world.  So their goal is to do away with the Christians and their GODLY influence.  You can see this happening in the United States, in every facet of our lives, we are being persecuted because of who we are.  My question is:  How far will it go? 

 

When a Child of the Living God lives with a prayerful attitude, the devil knows that, he has to flee, because PRAYER is the ULTIMATE WEAPON against evil.  A Child of God gains STRENGTH, COURAGE, and POWER through STRONG FAITHFUL, TRUSTING, PRAYER.  So let’s become STRONG, FAITHFUL, and TRUSTING PRAYER WARRIORS and pray for each other.

Paul also asked that the Ephesian believers pray for him too. He ask that they pray that he would be able to BOLDLY explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.   He said that even though he was in chains he was STILL preaching that message as God’s ambassador.  We MUST be in CONSTANT prayer for ALL of our PREACHERS, EVANGELISTS and MISSIONARIES as they BOLDLY proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.  Pray that, no matter what circumstances they face, they will BOLDLY PREACH the WORD of the LIVING GOD.

 

If you are a part of this lost and dying world, and have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, you are in jeopardy of spending ALL eternity in Hell with ALL the wicked and evil people.   You will experience; heartache, misery, torment, torture and unbearable pain, forever with NO escape or release from your suffering.  However, you NOW have the opportunity to turn your destiny around by: CONFESSING your sins to God, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become one of His PRAYER WARRIORS.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"The Prayers of the Faithful"

“The Prayers of the Faithful”

 

Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found.  When great floodwaters come they will not reach him.          Psalm 32:6

 

We now are facing a new year that will bring about new uncertainties, some of which may be of a personal nature.  In this Psalm, David implores the FAITHFUL to pray to God, while He may be found.  As the saying goes:  “There is NO better time than NOW.”  We as God’s Children, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, need to offer prayers to our Heavenly Father, for strength and a MIGHTY FAITH that will carry us through ANY situation.

 

It doesn’t mean that we will be immune from every heartache, or trouble that comes our way, but it does mean that, when we PRAY, we can be assured that He hears the prayers of His Children, and will do what is BEST for us, even when we can see NO WAY, He makes a WAY, and will see us through to the very end.  We don’t always understand God’s ways or we may not agree with His plans, but it is our responsibility to be OBEDIENT to Him and to TRUST His will.

 

We will not be overwhelmed with the situations we encounter, because we know He is in control, even when we think that He has abandoned us, through a STRONG, ABIDING, FAITH, we can be OVERCOMERS, and TRUST His hand. 

 

Even in times of great adversity, when the situation is hard and seems unfair to a Child of God, we MUST TRUST Him, for He has the capability of seeing the WHOLE picture.   He KNOWS what the future holds and what would be the BEST thing for His child.   Some may and have questioned “why” a loving, righteous God would let a horrible scenario be carried out against His Children.   We don’t know the mind of God, but we MUST TRUST HIM. 

 

We live in a wicked, evil world, where sin runs rampant and innocent people, even God’s Children are victims to its aftermath.  Our prayers to our Heavenly Father exemplifies our FAITH in Him and He promises us that He will NEVER LEAVE us nor FORSAKE us. He will see us through to the very end.  For the Child of God, they are assured of a home in Heaven, where there is NO sin, evilness or wickedness to affect their well-being, only PEACE, JOY, and HAPPINESS, the likes of which mankind has NEVER experienced. 

 

But for the person who has never given their HEART and LIFE to God, they not only face the effects of this sin-ridden, evil, wicked world, but they also face an eternity that is filled with HEARTACHE, TORMENT, TORTURE, MISERY, and DESPAIR, with NO way of escape.  You have the opportunity NOW to come to God, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have the assurance that He will get you through to the end.  Put your FAITH and TRUST in Him.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Saved by Undeserved Grace!"

“Saved by Undeserved Grace!”

 

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses.  You are saved by grace!              Ephesians 2: 4-5

 

God’s grace is an expression of God’s love for mankind, and because of His MARVELOUS grace, there is redemption for His Crown of Creation.   His MERCY and GRACE is the way and means for mankind to be able to come to God and experience a RIGHT relationship with Him.

 

We are the work of His hands, and His feelings for ALL mankind was expressed in His LOVE for them through the sacrifice of His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, the Lord Jesus Christ, who WILLINGLY GAVE His life so that mankind could become RIGHTEOUS before the HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD, the CREATOR  and SUSTAINER of all creation.

 

We who were/are DEAD in our trespasses or sins, were made ALIVE with Christ Jesus, through the shedding of His precious blood on an old rugged cross.  It was by this act or work that we were saved and NOT by ANYTHING that we have done, but what Father God has done to bring us from DEATH to LIFE, because of UNDESERVED GRACE.  Mankind did not deserve it, but because God is rich in MERCY and His GREAT LOVE, HE provided it.  We STILL do not deserve it, but He STILL provides it. 

 

There is NO other way for us to be saved from our sins and the consequences of those sins. You MUST come to God with a TRULY REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and coming from DEATH to LIFE, which was made possible through UNDESERVED GRACE, which was provided by the work of JESUS CHRIST on an old rugged cross, Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!  It could happen TODAY or this year.  BE READY!!!